Black Rose
by perfect.anjel
Summary: Hermione gets an invitation to to a magnificent ball. The trouble is, she doesn't know who sent the invitation! The only clue she has is a velvet black rose.. Rated M for possible risque future content
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: This is written in Hermione's point of view, sorry for any confusion! Yes this might be my first fiction but don't be gentle I need the criticism and the ideas! Hehe anyway I was laying in bed and doing homework and bored out of my mind and this idea for this story popped into my head so I wrote it down… and now it's a story! Yay! Still very much a work in progress though haha. Like I said I'll take any ideas anyone has so that I can get this thing moving! Enjoy! :)**

She walked into the hotel and stared in amazement. The entire place was decorated like a palace! She couldn't believe that only a few days ago she had gotten an invitation to an extravagant ball that a slew of foreign dignitaries and royals were going to be attending. And yet, it was curious, she didn't even know who had sent her the invitation. The only clue she had to who invited her was a delicate, velvety black rose with a bright green stem. But even her brilliant mind couldn't figure out who would spend that much money to get her an invitation and send her a beautiful rose PLUS pay for her hotel AND the flight to the beautiful Spanish countryside. Her mystery man had also included money to buy an entire outfit for the evening, accessories and all. Even the small dowry she had amassed after the war wouldn't have been able to cover everything. It would have to be very old money, she concluded. There was only one Wizarding family that had money that old... But no... It couldn't be... Could it?

As she checked in to the hotel, the check-in lady behind the desk handed her an envelope sealed with a wax seal that had that damned rose on it. She sighed and decided to take her stuff up to her room. To her alarm, all of her luggage had disappeared, all five pieces, including her purse. She turned around to the lady who explained that once you checked in, you only have to wish it and whatever you want would be magically transported to her room, except people of course. She sighed, relieved, and ran a hand through her mousy brown hair. As she waited for the elevator, she examined the key that the lady at the check in counter had given to her. It looked like a muggle hotel key, the ones that look like credit cards. Before she had the proper time to examine it though, the door opened and a disembodied voice asked her to insert her key into the slot. She stepped into the elevator and it zoomed up, going farther and farther than she had imagined. Finally the elevator dinged and the elevator doors swooshed opened into a room filled with sunlight. Of course her admirer wouldn't skimp on this as well; he had gotten her the grand penthouse suite, with skylights for a ceiling and every kind of luxury imaginable. She slowly walked into what appeared to be one of three gigantic bedrooms. Once again, her jaw dropped to the floor, taking in the size and grandeur that was this room. All told, it could probably hold all of her apartment, and some! She sat down on appeared to be a very comfortable bed, and knowing the amount of money that was being spent, it was probably one of the beds that corrected itself magically to what the person lying in bed wanted. She took a deep breath and tried to take it all in. She remembered the letter in her pocket and took it out, opening it up, careful not to rip the wax seal.

_My dearest Hermione,_

_I know this is all very irritating for you, not knowing who I am and such. But soon enough you will know, just be patient, even though that is not your forte. _

_In your bathroom you will find a gown I picked out for you this evening to wear to dinner, if you wish to join me that is. I will be wearing a mask to keep my identity hidden till the ball, when I promise to reveal all to you. You will join me as my guest and… Well I'm getting ahead of myself here. I will send another letter for concerning the ball when the time gets closer._

_I hope you find yourself comfortable and I hope to see you tonight_

_Best regards, Your black rose_

_P.S. - I filled the closets with clothes I think you might like_

She read the letter in disbelief. So obviously this man knew her. But the question is, did she know him?

**So do you like it so far? PLEASEEEEE leave comments, questions, suggestions, or if there's a grammar mistake or something, PM me that please :) Hope to see you soon!**

**Hugs to all the people who are giving this a try! :)**

**Ashley**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: I didn't realize how short that chapter was D: it looked so much longer in word… I will try to write longer chapters for you guys! I think this one is going to be much longer though :) And I must warn all of my wonderful readers now, I only have internet access at my dad's right now and I come here every other weekend so I'll only be able to do so much at a time. We seem to have lost the password to the wifi so my laptop has the story and no internet to post it to... I unfortunately only have internet access on my phone but I can't reply to reviews or publish more from there :( I'll do the best I can though and write when I'm not here so that I can get you guys more chapters when I do get internet :) But anyway hope you enjoy! Like I said, leave reviews and feed me some ideas! Also I'm going to be writing normal POV now, yay for no more screwed-upness!**

**Also, I'm bouncing around like a little bunny rabbit! :D thank you to EVERYONE who is reading and reviewing and favorite-ing my story! :) It means sooooooo much to me it really does! And it gives me a reason and inspiration to write more :D**

**Sorry for the long authors note! As always, have fun and review, follow, and favorite :)**

**Ashley**

Hermione debated over and and over again whether or not she should go. She still hadn't made up her mind but she decided to see what her host had left for her. She cautiously got up off the bed and made her way towards the bathroom. As she walked into the bathroom, she was stunned by how big and elegant and just plain expensive everything looked. All the facets looked like they were made of pure gold, the towels looked like they had gold thread, or something to that effect, and everything shone of money. She didn't know what it was that made it do that but whatever it was it was over all very breathtaking. She finally saw something that wasn't white or gold in that bathroom. It was a long black dress bag, with what looked like a shoe and accessory bag attached to the hanger. She slowly took what she assumed to be the dress to wear for tonight down and went back into her bedroom, laying the dress onto the bed. She opened the long bag first and saw a dark green piece of fabric that looked like silk. As she unzipped the rest of the bag, she gasped and found that the dress was a sleeveless drop waisted ball gown, with what looked like a black sequined phoenix covering the front of the dress. Hermione marveled at its design and intricacy. She saw a long skinny box inside the bag after she had taken the dress out and found long, elegant, elbow length gloves to match the dress. She sighed, figuring that these two things alone would be a monstrous amount of money for the materials that they were made out of the very best silk and she knew how much that cost. She had once tried to buy a piece of it for herself. One small 5in square piece was 100 dollars. She shook her head at whoever had bought all of these things and opened the shoe bag and found a pair of dark green stilettos, dyed to match the dress, with decoration on it that would sparkle across her foot. After staring at the outfit that she had so far, she opened the smallest bag, finding a beautiful necklace and earring set made out of emeralds and diamonds. She had no reason to doubt that they weren't real, seeing all of the things around her and not even trying to imagine what everything cost. Hermione was overwhelmed. She had never had anyone ever spend this much on her ever before!

Hermione sighed and decided that she would go. She had no reason not to and then maybe she would finally figure out who her mystery person was, even though he would be wearing a mask. She wondered when dinner would be and just as that thought came into her head, she saw an owl flying towards her. Opening a window for the owl before it could run into the clear glass wall, it flew around in her room for a while before dropping her letter on her bed and perching somewhere in one of the various rooms. As she picked up the letter, she saw that it was sealed with none other than the black rose. She sighed and opened the letter

_Hermione,_

_The kind lady at the front desk alerted me to your arrival, I am so glad you decided to accept my invitation. I realized that I never wrote down what time dinner would be, if you wish to join me that is. It shall start at 7:30 pm in the main dining hall. I will be waiting for you in one of the private rooms in the back. I have shown your picture to the staff in the dining hall so that if you come, they know what room to bring you to._

_I sincerely hope that you will join me tonight and even if you don't, you may keep the gown and the accessories that come with them as a gift._

_With love_

At the end of the letter, there was a single black rose petal that had been magicked onto the page. She picked the petal up and rubbed it between her fingers, enjoying the silky feel of the petal. She looked at her watch and was alarmed at the fact that it was 6 pm. If she was going to go to this dinner, she had to hurry to get ready. She hurried to take a shower and used a charm she had learned from Ginny to dry her hair quickly. She left it curly this time and drew it up into an elegant bun onto the top of her head with a few curls hanging down and framing her heart shaped face. Then to her makeup, which consisted of a light blush and some smoky eye shadow. Why not look good?, she thought to herself as she finished off her makeup with a flourish. She looked at the clock and saw that it was 7 pm already. It was time to get that dress on finally.

Hermione went to her suitcase and got out a strapless leopard bra and a matching set of underwear. After she had put them on, she slowly slipped the dress on and zipped the zipper on the side with a wave of her wand. She slid the gloves on delicately and felt the cool silk against her arms. She slipped into the shoes and put on the jewelry and turned to the floor length mirror that was in her room. Hermione gasped and looked at herself. Being a Gryffindor in Hogwarts, she never contemplated on actually wearing the colors of a Slytherin but she noticed that the silver around her neck and the green, well, everything complimented her nicely. She begrudgingly admitted that she might have to buy more clothes in this color she like it so much. Looking at the clock one last time, it was 7:15, she grabbed her small black purse she had happened to have brought with her, put her wand and her room key into it, and went into the elevator. As the elevator dinged, she walked out and heard lots of chattering coming from her left. She started walking towards the noise and hoped she was going in the right direction and self consciously noticing how very loud her heels were against the intricate marble floors. She found the dining room not much later and was greeted by the man at the podium. Like the letter said, the man recognized her and took her through the tables to a hallway which held the private dining rooms. He finally stopped in front of one of the rooms, told her this is where she would be eating tonight, and walked off. She looked at one of the clocks that was on the wall. Exactly 7:30. Taking a deep breath, she opened the doors.

**Sorry to leave you guys hanging like this! But it keeps the suspense :) and I'm kind of tired, seeing as how it is now 3:45 am my time :) Hope you enjoy and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review, follow, favorite, and look forward to the next chapter!**

**Oh and thank you to 4 people who have favorite this story, the 4 people who have reviewed, the 17 people who have put me on alert, and the 197 of you that have read my story so far :). You mean so much to me! :D thank you!**


	3. Note to my readers

**Oh my goodness… I am in awe of how many people have read my story! You guys amaze me :) I will be leaving my dad's house in about an hour so I have to get ready and sadly I don't have time to write because I have to do homework and such :( so if I disappear for 2 weeks you all know where I've gone to. But you guys inspire me soooo much I think I might have to go the Starbucks that's near my house and post whenever I write more! Or somewhere that has wifi that I can use :) once again, thank you ALL, every visit, favorite, follow, and review makes me want to write so much more for all of you! I love you for giving me a chance thank you soooooooo very much :)**

**Until next time!**

**Ashley**


	4. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: You guys are absolutely amazing :) I absolutely love you guys! I can't stress that enough :) I never imagined that my story would get the attention that it has gotten so far and… I'm just so happy that you've taken the time to read this :)**

**Ok enough with the sappy stuff! Time for the story! Oh and there will be dialogue in this chapter finally and we get to meet the mysterious man ;) I will try to post links to the pictures of what I imagine everything that Hermione wears look like but no promises. Enjoy!**

**Ashley :)**

Hermione took a deep breath and pushed the ornate door open. Before she walked into the room, she waved her wand and conjured a green silk mask with black lace and a black feather attached to the left side of the mask. Two can play at this game, she though as she walked in slowly and let the door shut softly behind her. She looked around the room as her eyes adjusted to the rooms light, for it was only lit by fire place and a few gas lamps along the wall. She had barely had time to look at everything before she heard a voice behind her.

"Hello there Hermione. You look lovely tonight. I'm glad you decided to join me."

The voice was deep, but not too deep, and smooth like silk. It sounded like power and like it was used to getting what it wanted. Hermione spun around and being the graceful person that she was, she almost tripped but was caught by a very strong and warm grip. She looked down at her arm to see a pale white hand letting go of her arm. Her eyes travelled up his arm and looked at the black silk shirt that all of a sudden called out to her to touch it. She resisted that urge and continued to follow the arm towards the chest of said man. She could tell underneath the shirt was a body that was toned from years of exercise, probably Quidditch, because no one in the Wizarding world did much else when it came to working out. She had a short flashback from when she was in Hogwarts, watching Harry and Ron practice one hot summer day at the Burrow before their seventh year. They had all decided to go back to school and finish school. Hermione, of course, graduated with honors while Harry and Ron barely scraped passing in most of their N.E.W.T.S. They had been playing for a while and decided to take their shirts off. She remembered sighing and drinking in the sight of their well toned muscular bodies. This was back when she had feelings for both boys, but it hadn't worked out with either of them. Returning to the present, she finally looked up at the face of the man she had been wondering about for the past month and a half. She was met by a pale and well defined face that smirked and was covered with a silver mask with black accents and a slightly unruly but tamed shock of white blonde hair. Her eyes met his, which were silver and danced in the low light of the room.

"Enjoying what you're seeing?" She could hear the smirk in his voice more than she could see it. His hand came up to brush the feather on her mask and his smirk got wider. He said, "Ahh I see what game you're playing at. A mask for a mask?"

"Yes. I will cover my face if you insist on covering yours." Hermione heard her voice shaking slightly.

"Are you scared? You have no need to be." He sounded slightly hurt when he said this, as though it offended him.

Hermione immediately covered the emotions on her face and put on an affronted front. "Maybe a little, I am having dinner with someone who I have not had the pleasure of being introduced to." She frowned. "Why won't you tell me who you are? Are you scared?"

He turned around and ignored her for what seemed like forever. She was about to ask again when he finally said, "I have my reasons. You will know in time. Now come, let's eat dinner." He took her hand and led her to a small table near the fireplace and pulled her out a chair. She sat down gracefully and he went and sat down in his own chair. She looked around, confused as to where the menus were, before her read her mind and told her, "Everything is already ordered, you have no need to worry. What would you like to drink?"

She thought for a moment before she answered, "Something strong, I don't care what it is." At that moment, who she assumed would be their private waiter opened the doors and walked in, asking if they what they would like to drink with their meal. He looked at her and ordered water for the both of them. She gave him a scorching look. No matter, she decided, I'll drink once I get upstairs to my room. Hermione had never been much of a drinker but after the war, she drank a little from time to time to calm her ever-constant nerves. And her nerves were defiantly kicking in at this point. This is going to be a long night, she sighed.

As dinner finished up, a lovely dinner of steak and potatoes with a salad on the side and a Spanish desert that Hermione couldn't even read, let alone spell or say, the mystery man escorted her back to her room. She became dizzy slightly as she took his offered arm, such a gentlemanly gesture had never been offered to her before, and they walked to the elevators and rode up to her room. As the doors were closing on her room after their goodbyes, she quietly whispered a thank you to him. Right before the doors thumped shut and started falling to a different level, she could have sworn that she heard him say, "Your welcome." She shook her head and took off all of the elegant clothes that she had on and put on her pajamas. Then, as she was crawling into her pre-warmed bed, she had a thought of who it may be. As she pondered this idea and thought of the night, the jokes they shared, the conversation they had, and the warmth she felt from him. But if it was him, then he would have gone through a major change. She didn't think someone of his pedigree would change their ways though. "But maybe, just maybe… It might be him."

**Finally done with this chapter and finally have an internet connection! Ahhh so happy! So what do you think of our mystery man? I'm thinking about flipping back and forth between MM and Hermione... Thoughts? I won't name him though so don't be too excited :) but thank you to all who have so patiently waited for this next chapter, I will try to get the next one (when I finish writing it) up as soon as possible :)**


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